Table 1. Characteristics of diabetes patients with bacterial meningitisa.
| Characteristic | n/N (%) | Characteristic | n/N (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (years) | 65 (25–91) | Blood chemistry testsd | |
| Female | 85/183 (46) | Leukocyte count (x109/L) | 16.3 (2.5–41.9) |
| Diabetes mellitus type 2 | 87/183 (48) | Thrombocytes (x1012/L) | 208 (39–868) |
| Type unknown/not reported | 96/183 (52) | C-reactive protein (mg/L) | 172 (4–736) |
| Predisposing conditionsb | 44/183 (24) | Glucose (mmol/L) | 12.6 (1.5–30.9) |
| Cancer | 18/181 (10) | Indexes of inflammation in CSFe | |
| Immunosuppressive drugs | 16/182 (9) | Leukocyte count (cells/mm3) | 3,300 (1–75,000) |
| Alcoholism | 12/166 (7) | Protein (g/L) | 4.31 (0.44–19.70) |
| Distant foci of infection | 87/171 (51) | CSF/blood glucose ratio | 0.16 (0.0–1.55) |
| Otitis media or sinusitis | 69/182 (38) | Causative organism | |
| Pneumonia | 22/170 (13) | Streptococcus pneumoniae | 139/183 (76) |
| Symptoms and signs on admission | Listeria monocytogenes | 11/183 (6) | |
| Duration of symptoms >24 h | 88/171 (51) | Neisseria meningitidis | 10/183 (5) |
| Headache | 117/148 (79) | Escherichia coli | 4/183 (2) |
| Nausea | 81/140 (58) | Streptococcus speciesf | 10/183 (5) |
| Temperature ≥38 °C | 144/181 (80) | Staphylococcus aureus | 2/183 (1) |
| Neck stiffness | 125/173 (72) | Staphylococcus epidermidis | 1/183 (1) |
| Triadc | 86/173 (50) | Haemophilus influenza | 2/183 (1) |
| Signs of septic shock | 56/177 (32) | Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 2/183 (1) |
| Seizures | 8/170 (5) | Nocardia farcinica | 1/183 (1) |
| Altered mental state (EMV <14) | 148/183 (81) | Klebsiella pneumoniae | 1/183 (1) |
| Coma (EMV <8) | 30/183 (16) | Outcome | |
| Focal neurological deficits | 57/181 (31) | Unfavorable outcome | 82/183 (45) |
| Cranial nerve palsy | 15/154 (10) | Mortality | 43/183 (23) |
| Brain imaging | 165/183 (90) | Neurological sequelae | 49/122 (40) |
| Abnormal | 65/165 (39) | Hearing loss | 16/124 (13) |
| Otitis or sinusitis on CT/MRI | 50/165 (30) |
CSF: cerebrospinal fluid.
aData are presented as n/N (%), or median (range).
bNot directly related to diabetes mellitus.
cTriad of fever, neck stiffness, and change in mental status.
dLeukocyte count was known in 179 episodes, C-reactive protein in 173 episodes, glucose in 175 episodes and thrombocyte count in 176 episodes.
eCSF Leukocyte count was known in 177 episodes, CSF protein levels in 170 episodes, CSF blood to glucose ratio in 169 episodes.
f4 Streptococcus agalactiae, 2 Streptococcus pyogenes, 1 Streptococcus gallolyticus, 1 Streptococcus anginosus, 1 Streptococcus mitis, 1 Streptococcus salivarius.